Reusable adhesive mounted hanger for wall or window use

ABSTRACT

An adhesive-backed wall hanger may provide a transparent body and adhesive, the latter bonded to the support surface so as to provide a greater specific adhesion between the adhesive and the support surface on an interface between the adhesive and the support surface than between the adhesive and a material of the substantially planar surface so that the adhesive may be removed and reattached to the substantially planar surface multiple times.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application 61/565,180 filed Nov. 30, 2011 and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hanger for attaching items to a vertical surface such as a wall or window and in particular to a releasable hanger that may be removed and reattached to such a surface.

A variety of wall hangers or hooks are known in which a hook element, for example, molded of thermoplastic is attached to an adhesive material that may be used to attach the hook element to a vertical surface. A relatively thin adhesive material, for example, on a double-sided tape carrier may be attached to a compliant substrate such as a foam or the like to allow the adhesive to closely conform to an irregular wall surface. A variety of permanent or releasable pressure sensitive adhesives may be used for this purpose with the latter having the advantage of reduced wall damage. Generally pressure sensitive adhesives having high adhesion are not reusable or do not provide a reusable adhesive surface.

Often it is desired to provide a wall hanger that may also attach to a glass surface in a way that does not block incoming light. Adhesives having an underlying foam substrate, in this application, may undesirably diffuse or absorb light coming through the glass.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a wall hanger presenting a releasable and reusable adhesive surface that allows mounting of the hanger in wall or window applications. Reusability is provided by providing an adhesive bonding between the adhesive and a wall hanger that will be greater than any adhesive bonding between the adhesive and a wall or window. In some embodiments, the hanger and adhesive are transparent to reduce blockage of incoming light. The non-adhesive portions of the wall hanger may be fabricated of a flexible polymer sheet allowing die cut books or other attachment features to be readily implemented.

This summary of the invention is provided as background and does not define the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one embodiment of the hanger of the present invention as mounted on a window and allowing light transmission therethrough;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the hanger of FIG. 1 showing the components of the hanger element, adhesive, and release liner;

FIGS. 3 a-b are front elevational and side elevational views of an alternative embodiment of the hanger of FIG. 1 using a die cut plastic sheet for the hanger element providing an in-plane hook;

FIGS. 4 a-c are front elevational disassembled, front elevational assembled, and side elevational views of an alternative embodiment of the hanger of FIG. 1 using a die cut plastic sheet for the hanger element to provide an out-of-plane loop hanger;

FIGS. 5 a-c are front elevational, side fragmentary elevational, and perspective views of an alternative embodiment of the hanger of FIG. 1 using a die cut plastic sheet to provide an out-of-plane hook;

FIGS. 6 a-c are front elevational, side fragmentary elevational, and perspective views of an alternative embodiment of the hanger of FIG. 1 providing an aperture hanger with FIG. 6 c depicting use of the aperture hanger for supporting a balloon;

FIGS. 7 a-b are side elevational and perspective views of the hanger of FIG. 6 supporting a lamp of a lamp string;

FIGS. 8 a-b are front elevational and side elevational views of an alternative embodiment of the hanger of FIG. 1 providing an adhesive hanger element; and

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a peeling operation that may be implemented with the flexible die cut sheet to release a high shear strength adhesive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, the present invention provides a hanger 10 that may attach to a vertical attachment surface 12 such as a window (as shown) or a wall or the like. The hanger 10 includes a hanger element 14 that may extend away from the vertical attachment surface 12 such as a hook or the like onto which an object 16 may be suspended beneath the hanger 10. In one embodiment of the invention, the hanger 10 is substantially transparent so as to reduce its visibility and effect on like transmission through a window.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the hanger 10 may comprise a hanger element 18, for example a molded thermoplastic element, providing a hook 20 opening upward and extending outward from a hanger body 22. The hanger element 18 may be a clear PVC, clear styrene, acrylic, polyethylene or similar polymer. In this embodiment, hanger body 22 may be molded to provide a substantially planar rear surface 24 which may be attached to an adhesive layer 26 bonded to the rear surface 24 at an interface 30 between the adhesive layer 26 and the rear surface 24.

A face 33 of the adhesive layer 26 opposite the interface 30 may be attached to a release liner 32 that may be removed by the consumer to present an exposable adhesive face 33 of the adhesive layer 26, the former for attachment to a wall or window at a second interface 34.

The release liner 32 may be a siliconized paper, polyethylene, polyester or other material having reduced adhesion to the adhesive layer 26 yet sufficient adhesion to lightly maintain the release liner 32 on the adhesive layer 26 before removal by the consumer. An example release liner is a 0.01 inch clear polyester silicone coated film commercially available from Griff Plastics under the trade name F-1009181.

The bonding of the adhesive layer 26 to the rear surface 24 will be such as to provide a specific adhesion (adhesive connection) that is stronger than a specific adhesion between the exposable adhesive face 33 of the adhesive layer 26 to other materials attached to the adhesive layer 26 after manufacture of the hanger 10. These other materials may include materials that are identical to the material of the hanger body 22, typical materials of the wall or window, or another adhesive layer 26 of another hanger 10. In this respect, attachment of the adhesive layer 26 to the rear surface 24 may be considered substantially permanent so that removal of the hanger 10 from an attachment surface 12 can be accomplished while ensuring retention between the adhesive layer 26 and the rear surface 24.

In one embodiment the adhesive layer 26 may be a clear two-component polyurethane adhesive with pressure sensitive adhesive properties. Two-component polyurethane adhesives suitable for this use are Heartland Adhesives LLC's PUR components G100 and G200. Use of both materials in a ratio range of 7:1 to 10:1, with an optimal ratio of 8:1, will impart the desired shear properties for the invention. In a deadload test of a prototype, an adhesive area of 1″×1.25″ was able to hold 8 oz. for no less than 48 hour.

The materials also contain UV stabilizers which inhibit color and physical property changes that would negatively effect the functionality of the finished product, that being maintaining clarity and dimensional stability. In one embodiment, the UV stabilizer contains a UV absorber and a HALS (hindered amine light stabilizer).

Other two component polyurethane adhesives suitable for this use are Northstar Polymers PUR components PNC-157 and MPG-023, however, these materials do not have UV stabilizers.

The two components are blended and coated onto the clear plastic substrate prior to complete cross-linking. This imparts the permanent bond between the adhesive layer 26 and the rear surface 24 by cross-linking between the two. The opposing face 33 of the adhesive layer 26 may be attached to the release liner 32 during the coating process to be ultimately removable prior to application. Once cross-linking takes place, the opposite face 33 of the adhesive layer 26 has removable and washable properties that add reusability properties to its functionality.

As noted, generally the adhesive layer 26 will provide for a greater specific adhesion to the rear surface 24 than can be obtained between the adhesive layer 26 and any other surface later attached to the adhesive layer 26 (including materials of identical composition to the rear surface 24) after completion of the cross-linking. Further, the adhesive layer 26 is practically permanently bonded to the rear surface 24 to the extent that force on the adhesive layer 26 will provide an internal tearing of the adhesive layer 26 before release from the rear surface 24. In contrast the adhesive layer 26 is releasable from all other surfaces to which it is attached after manufacture to the extent that the adhesive layer 26 will release from those surfaces without significant separation of the adhesive layer 26.

The adhesive layer 26 may be applied in a thickness of 10 to 15 mils, and more generally in the range from 5 mils to 20 mils, to provide desired space filling properties for rough surfaced walls. At a thickness of 30 mils on an area of one inch by one inch, the adhesive is formulated to hold a shear load of at least 50 grams in attachment of the adhesive to glass.

Generally the adhesive on the hanger 10 will be reusable both because it is retained on the hook by the differential adhesive properties of the adhesive layer 26 between the rear surface 24 in the wall, and by a natural tackiness of the adhesive material that does not dissipate with drying or curing as in the case of other types of adhesives. The thickness of the adhesive layer 26 may be varied according to the anticipated roughness of the surface to which it will be attached with the thicker adhesive layers working with rougher surfaces to provide for the necessary interfacial contact.

Referring now to FIG. 3 in an alternative embodiment, the hanger body 22 may be a thin and flexible sheet of transparent plastic, for example 0.07 inch thickness polyester film. Other polymers may be used for the hanger body 22 including acetate, polystyrene, PVC, polypropylene, acrylic, polyethylene or others which may also include opacifiers or colorings as may be desired in some embodiments. An example flexible sheet is available from Griff Plastics under the trade name F-70007.

In this embodiment, the adhesive layer 26 may be attached to a rear surface of the upper portion of the hanger body 22 and covered with a release liner 32 as has been described below. A portion of the release liner 32 may extend beyond the adhesive layer 26 to provide a tab 36 aiding in removal of the release liner by peeling away from the adhesive layer 26 by the consumer.

A lower portion of the hanger body 22 may be shaped into a die cut in-plane hook 38 for supporting an item below the hanger 10, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 where the item is held on a string looped around an upwardly projecting portion of the hook 38. The lower portion of the hanger body 22 may be bent at a horizontal score line 40 separating the upper and lower portions of the hanger body 22 so that the lower portion may tip outward away from a plane of a wall to which the hanger 10 is attached to assist in engaging the hook 38 with items to be hung on the hook 38.

Referring now to FIG. 4, in an alternative embodiment, the same flexible plastic sheet may be used to form a hanger 10 having a stirrup portion 42 providing a loop which may be used to attach to items to be hung from the hanger 10. As with the embodiment of FIG. 3, an upper portion of the hanger body 22 may have an adhesive layer 26 and release liner 32 attached to the rear surface thereof. A lower portion of the hanger body 22 provides a T-slot 44 positioned below the adhesive layer 26 that may receive a corresponding T-hook 46 extending from the lower edge of the hanger body 22. The T-hook 46 provides a downwardly extending narrow stem 48 broadening into a wider T-portion 50. This wider T-portion 50 may be threaded through the upper portion of the T-slot 44 looping a lower portion of the hanger body 22 upward. The T-portion 50 may then slide downward behind the hanger body 22 into the T-slot 44 to be retained therein with the stem portion 48 passing outward through the vertical portion of the T-slot 44 frontward in retained engagement with the lower edge of the hanger body 22 now bent upward.

Referring now to FIG. 5, in an alternative embodiment, an upper portion of the hanger body 22 may again have rearward attached adhesive layer 26 and release liner 32 as described above. A lower portion of the hanger body 22 may provide for a vertical score line 51 terminating at its upper end at a horizontal cut line 52 through the hanger body 22 halfway across the hanger body 22 allowing a rightmost portion 54 of the lower portion of the hanger body 22 to hinge outward along the vertical axis away from a plane of a wall to which the hanger 10 is attached. A die cut hole 56 in rightmost portion 54 is connected by a slot 58 to a forward edge of the rightmost portion 54 to provide a hook that may extend away from the wall plane as shown generally in FIG. 5( c).

Referring now to FIG. 6, in another embodiment, the upper portion of the hanger body 22 may again have a rearward attached adhesive layer 26 and release liner 32. In this case, the lower portion of the hanger body 22 may provide for a centered hole 60 with radially extending separation slots 63 allowing slight expansion of the effective diameter of the hole 60. The lower portion of the hanger body 22 again may be divided from the upper portion by a score line 40 described with respect to FIG. 3 allowing the lower portion to tip outward away from an attaching wall. This hole 60 may be useful for retaining items that may be threaded through a closed hole and retained, for example, by the natural elasticity of the hanger body 22 which tends to reduce the effective diameter of the hole 60. In one example, as shown in FIG. 6 (c), the neck of a balloon may be inserted through the hole 60 to be retained there by an abutment of a lip of the neck of the balloon and an inner surface of the hole 60.

Referring also to FIG. 7, the hole 60 may be sized to receive and retain standard “Christmas tree” lights 61 of a type having a lamp 62 extending from a socket body 64, the latter communicating via electrical wire 66 along with other lamps on a string. In this case the socket body 64 of the lamp 62 may be behind the lower portion of the hanger body 22 and the lamp and the two may pass through the hole 60. By tipping upward of the lower portion of the hanger body 22 along score line 40, the electrical cord 66 is retained close to a wall 70.

Referring now to FIG. 8, in an alternative embodiment, the upper portion of the hanger body 22 may again have a rearward attached adhesive layer 26 and release liner 32 but the lower portion of the hanger body 22 may not provide for a hook or hole but rather a second application of adhesive 53 (similar to adhesive layer 26 but on a front surface of the hanger body 22). This second application of adhesive 53 is also covered with a release liner 32′ having a cantilevered tab 36′ to allow removal of the release liner 32′. In this case exposed adhesive layer 53 provides for an attachment to a poster or other material that needs to be hung.

Referring now to FIG. 9, when the hanger body 22 is a flexible sheet, the gripping of a lower portion of the hanger body 22 and pulling forward may be used to peel the adhesive layer 26 away from the wall 70 as indicated by arrow 57 to overcome an otherwise strong shear force indicated by arrow 59 that may be resisted by adhesion between the adhesive layer 26 and the wall 70.

Certain terminology is used herein for purposes of reference only, and thus is not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “above”, and “below” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “front”, “back”, “rear”, “bottom” and “side”, describe the orientation of portions of the component within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to the text and the associated drawings describing the component under discussion. Such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Similarly, the terms “first”, “second” and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.

When introducing elements or features of the present disclosure and the exemplary embodiments, the articles “a”, “an”, the and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of such elements or features. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features other than those specifically noted. It is further to be understood that the method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein and the claims should be understood to include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims. All of the publications described herein, including patents and non-patent publications, are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 

What I claim is:
 1. A hanger comprising: a hanger element providing a hanger component for supporting an object and a hanger support surface adapted to abut a substantially planar surface; and an adhesive bonded to the support surface to provide a greater adhesive between the adhesive and the support surface at an interface between the adhesive and the support surface than between the adhesive and a material other than the support surface; wherein the adhesive may be removed and reattached to the substantially planar surface multiple times.
 2. The hanger of claim 1 wherein the adhesive and hanger support surface are substantially transparent so that the hanger is substantially transparent.
 3. The hanger of claim 1 wherein the hanger element is a polymer and the adhesive is a two-part polymer adhesive partially cross-linked with the support surface.
 4. The hanger of claim 3 wherein the adhesive is a two-part polyurethane.
 5. The hanger of claim 1 wherein the adhesive has a thickness of 5-20 mils.
 6. The hanger of claim 1 further including a release liner attached to a face of the adhesive opposite a face of the adhesive attached to the support surface of the hanger element.
 7. The hanger of claim 1 wherein the hanger element is a thermoplastic molded hook.
 8. The hanger of claim 1 wherein the hanger element is a die cut polymer sheet.
 9. The hanger of claim 8 wherein the hanger element includes a die cut hook.
 10. The hanger of claim 9 wherein the die cut hook comprises a die cut hole surrounded by a polymer sheet with a slit through one wall of the die cut hole to an edge of the polymer sheet.
 11. The hanger of claim 8 wherein the hanger element includes a die cut hole having radially extending blind slits allowing effective expansion of a diameter of the hole.
 12. A method of manufacturing a hanger of the type having a hanger element providing a hanger component for supporting an object and a hanger support surface adapted to abut a substantially planar surface and an adhesive bonded to the support surface to provide a greater adhesion between the adhesive and the support surface at an interface between the adhesive and the support surface than between the adhesive and a material other than the support surface, the method comprising the steps of: (a) applying the adhesive to the support surface; (b) cross-linking the adhesive to the support surface; and (c) substantially completing cross-linking of the adhesive before application of the adhesive to the substantially planar surface. 